A process of transferring a layer of a first material from a first substrate, having defects in a zone close to the surface, onto a host substrate made of a second material includes a step of thinning the first substrate in order to form a first thinned substrate, an ion or atom implantation in the first substrate in order to form an implantation plane therein, delimiting the layer to be transferred, and a transfer of the layer onto the host substrate by fracturing the substrate along the implantation plane.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A process for forming a layer on a host substrate, the process comprising: a) depositing a monocrystalline layer onto a deposition substrate to form a deposited layer, comprising a superficial portion having a first defect density, the defects comprising crystalline defects or composition homogeneity defects, and a buried portion, having fewer defects than the superficial portion; b) thinning the deposited layer by removing the superficial portion and allowing the buried portion to remain to form a thinned layer, wherein thinning the deposited layer comprises removing at least 500 nm of material from the monocrystalline layer, and wherein the thinned layer has a second defect density that is less than the first defect density; c) implanting ions or atoms in the deposition substrate after thinning the deposited layer to form an implantation zone; d) transferring the thinned layer onto the host substrate; and e) fracturing the deposition substrate along the implantation zone.
2. The process according to claim 1 further comprising, before step c), or before step d), a step of forming at least one intermediate layer.
3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein forming at least one intermediate layer comprises forming one of more layers of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or aluminum oxide.
4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein implanting ions or atoms comprises implanting a dose between 1×10 16 cm −2 and 4×10 17 cm −2 .
5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the host substrate comprises one of glass, garnet, sapphire, diamond or ceramic.
6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the host substrate further includes a layer to assist with bonding.
7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the deposited layer has a thickness greater than 1 μm before step b), and the thinned layer has a thickness below 1 μm after step b).
8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein depositing a monocrystalline layer comprises epitaxial growth of the layer on the deposition substrate.
9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein depositing a monocrystalline layer comprises one of liquid phase epitaxy, deposition by laser ablation of a target, cathode sputtering, or ion beam sputtering.
10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the deposited layer comprises garnet.
11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the deposited layer comprises ferromagnetic garnet doped with bismuth.
12. The process according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the deposition substrate comprises GGG, NdGG or SGGG.
13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein transferring the thinned layer comprises direct or molecular bonding.
14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the host substrate includes one or more optical components.
15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the host substrate includes one or more waveguides.
16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the host substrate comprises a layer of III-V semiconductor material or glass having a variation in ion concentration.
17. A process for forming a layer of garnet on a host substrate, the process comprising: a) depositing a monocrystalline layer of garnet onto a deposition substrate to form a deposited layer comprising a superficial portion having a first defect density, the defects comprising crystalline defects or composition homogeneity defects, and a buried portion having fewer defects than the superficial portion; b) thinning the deposited layer, such that a superficial portion of material having a thickness at least 500 nm is removed, and allowing the buried portion to remain, forming a thinned layer, wherein the thinned layer has a second defect density that is less than the first defect density; c) implanting ions or atoms in the deposition substrate after thinning the deposited layer to form an implantation zone; d) transferring the thinned layer onto the host substrate, the host substrate comprising glass, garnet, sapphire, diamond, or ceramic; and e) fracturing the deposition substrate along the implantation zone.
18. A process for forming a layer on a host substrate, the process comprising: a) depositing a monocrystalline layer onto a deposition substrate to form a deposited layer, comprising a superficial portion having a first defect density, the defects comprising crystalline defects or composition homogeneity defects, and a buried portion, having fewer defects than the superficial portion; b) thinning the deposited layer by removing the superficial portion and allowing the buried portion to remain to form a thinned layer, wherein the thinned layer has a thickness of less than about 1 micron and a second defect density that is less than the first defect density; c) implanting ions or atoms in the deposition substrate after thinning the deposited layer to form an implantation zone; d) transferring the thinned layer onto the host substrate; and e) fracturing the deposition substrate along the implantation zone.
19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the deposited layer has a thickness greater than 1 μm before step b), and the thinned layer has a thickness below 1 μm after step b).
20. The process according to claim 18 , wherein transferring the thinned layer comprises direct or molecular bonding.
21. The process according to claim 18 , wherein thinning the deposited layer comprises removing at least 500 nm of material from the monocrystalline layer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 21, 2008
November 6, 2012
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.